Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
A recent hot topic among those in and out of NBA circles alike is the fact that the league’s ratings have taken a dip.
According to Sports Media Watch, viewership of the NBA Cup semifinal games — which were between the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets — dropped by 19 percent compared to a year ago, when the tournament culminated in the Los Angeles Lakers winning the title.
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was recently asked to weigh in on the topic, and he suggested that he’s part of the problem.
Perhaps if Mazzulla’s Celtics were one of the four teams that played in the NBA Cup semifinals, it would have received better ratings. The Celtics are one of the NBA’s most illustrious franchises, as Boston has a league-best 18 titles in franchise history and is only months removed from capturing the 2024 championship.
Boston also has some of the more recognizable faces in the NBA on its roster such as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday.
Mazzulla has already developed a reputation in Boston for his penchant for giving quirky answers to the media. He had very little to say back in November when he was asked about the team’s visit to the White House.
Maybe Mazzulla didn’t have a good solution for the NBA’s ratings problem because he’s so focused on helping the Celtics win games. He’s one of the more intense head coaches in the league today, and Boston has been tremendously successful with him at the helm.
Ever since Mazzulla took over as the Celtics’ leader from the sidelines shortly before the start of the 2022-23 campaign, Boston has reached two Eastern Conference Finals and won one title. The Celtics seem primed for a deep playoff run in 2025 as well assuming they can stay healthy, as the team’s record of 21-5 is the second-best in the NBA behind only the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Mazzulla can help the Celtics to their third win in a row when they take on the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.
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